In-feed for chippers



I United States Patent 1111 3,526,259

[72] Inventor Joseph Andrew Lapointe [50] Field of Search 144/172, Pointe Claire, Quebec, Canada 2 233 [21] Appl. No. 704,656 221 Filed Feb. 12,1968 1 1 References CM [45] Patented Sept. 1, 1970 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Assignee DomtarLimited 2,969,095 l/196l Brookhyseretal 144/172x Monlreal.Quebe-c,canada 3,255,070 6/1966 Bersano 241/2110x 1 1 Priority March 2,1967 3,304,970 2/1967 Altosaar 144/162 [3?] 5 332223 3,319,673 5/1967 Voelskow 144/172 l n Primary ExaminerGilWeidenfeld Attorney-C.A.Rowley [54] ABSTRACT: The present invention relates to an in-feed g mechanism for chippers wherein a guide directs the wood at [52] U.S.Cl 144/172, the proper angle to the chipper and wherein a conveyor 241/93,241/280 traverses the guide to force and hold the wood against the [51] Int. Cl B27c l/l2, guide and move the wood along the guide to deliver wood at B02c 23/02 the proper angle into the chipper head.

Patented Sept. 1, 197a 3,526,259

Sheet of2 INVENTOR Joseph Andrew LAPOINTE Patented Sept. 1, 1970 3,526,259

Sheet 3 of2 INVENTOR Josep h Andrew LAPOINTE IN-FEED FOR CHIPPERS The present invention relates to chippers, more particularly to the feed mechanism for delivering logs into a wafering head.

It has been the practice in the art to feed the logs axially to chippers by means of a feed conveyor moving substantially in the direction of the log advance. This type of feed mechanism is adequate for chippers generally. but is not particularly satisfactory for use with waferers using helical knife arrangements. These known feeding devices cannot properly handle a plurality of logs simultaneously nor can they apply proper control to short ends of logs as these ends approach the wafering head. Also, the feed mechanisms for use with waferizers are generally complicated in that driving wheels biased into engagement with the logs are used and therefore the drive wheels must be movable.

I It is thus the main object of the present invention to provide a simplified log feeding mechanism particularly suitable for wafer type chippers.

Broadly stated. the present invention comprises: a chipping head, guide means extending at a first angle to the axis of said head and adapted to direct logs at said angle toward said head, conveyor means adjacent said head and traversing said guide means, said conveyor means travelling at a second angle to said axis of said head, said second angle being different than said first angle, said conveyor moving a log at said second angle to force said log into engagement with said guide means thereby aligning said log and thereafter axially advancing said log along said guide means into said head.

Further features, objects and advantages of the present inv'enti'on will be evident from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in whiclii FIG.' I is a schematic plan view illustrating the general layout of the conveyor mechanisms of the instant invention;

' FIG. 2 is a partial sectional plan view illustrating the present finvention;

' 'FlG. is a side view; and FIG. 4 is a cross-section along the line 44 on FIG. 2.

' Asshown in the drawings, the present invention includes a waferer having a wafering head ll mounted within a housing 12 and driven via axle l4 and speed reducer 15 from power source 13. One side of the housing I2 is removed and a trough I6 is provided for directing the logs at the proper angle into the cutting head. The bottom of this trough 16 is composed of'a conveyor l8 which, in the illustrated embodiment, extends substantially parallel to the axis of the head H. The important feature of this conveyor is the fact that it moves a log'into contact with the outside wall of the trough and with the log contacting the outside wall axially advances the log. As may be seen from FIG. I. the conveyor 17 axially advances the logs at any desired angle toward the wafering head, i.e., in the direction of the arrow u. The conveyor 18 moves in the direction of the arrow h to force the log into contact with the obtside wall of the conveyor, thereby to ensure that the log is properly aligned relative to the wafering head and then axially advances the log towards said head.

. Inthc illustrated embodiment, the wafering head 11 is substantially cylindrical and has a spiral arrangement of discrete wing type knives 20 projecting from the periphery thereof. Each of the knives 20 has a main edge and an auxiliary or wing edge extending at an angle from one end of said main edge. The angle between said main edge 22 and the axis of said wafering head is substantially equal to the angle at which the logs are fed to the head. Immediately preceding each knife is a chip pocket 26 which receives the wafers severed from the log. control surface 28 trails each main edge 22 and serves to steady a log and a second surface 30 trails each of the wing edges 24 and prevents ovcrfeeding of a log. The wafers cut by theknives 20 are retained in the pockets 26 as they are cut and 'are then discharged through a substantially tangential spout 25.

The trough 16 has a wear plate 32 against which the logs are forced. This wear plate 32 extends along the bottom edge olthe trough 16 adjacent the upper run of theconveyor l8 and serves to align the axis of the log at the proper angle to the wafering head so that the main edges 22 cut substantially parallel to the grain. At the leading end of the plate 32 is a replaceable section 34 which extends from adjacent the side edge of the conveyor 18 into close proximity with the head II. A projection 36 of section 34 extends down from the upper surface of the conveyor to the bed plate 38 to substantially cover the area bounded on the one side by the conveyor, on another side by the bed plate, and on a third side by the chipper head. A sharpened edge 40 provided on the projection 36 on the side thereof facing the conveyor 18 is adapted to sever any protuberances that may be forced past the section 34 by the conveyor.

In the illustrated embodiment, the conveyor 18 comprises a pair of spaced sprockets 42 (only one shown) on an axle 44 and a second pair of spaced sprockets 46 on an axle 48. (Drive for the conveyor is via the axle 48 and speed reducer 15, (see FIG. I) so that the speed of advance of the conveyor 18 is correlated with the rotational speed of the wafering head. A pair of chains 50 and 52 (see HO. 4) made up of individual pivotably interconnected sections 54 are trained about the sprockets 42 and 46. Each of the sections 54 has secured to its outer surface a substantially flat platc 56. At the leading edge of each plate 56 is a sharpened upstanding substantially straight transverse ridge 58 which is adapted to engage the log. The upper run of the conveyor 18 is supported and guided by bearing block 51, 53 mounted on frame members 55, 57 (see HO. 4). The cutting action of the wafering head forces the log down onto the ridges 58 to ensure proper gripping of the log thereby substantially preventing slippage of the log in the direction of travel of the conveyor, while permitting the log to slide axially of the ridges.

In operation, the logs are axially advanced toward th chipper or wafering head 11 by the conveyor 17. Before engaging the head 11, these logs encounter conveyor l8 moving at an angle to the direction of log feed which forces the logs into the trough l6 and into engagement with the guiding plate 32. The plate 32 prevents the logs from moving in the direction of movement of the conveyor 18 (arrow h) and the force imparted to the log by the conveyor 18 then may be resolved into two components, one axially of the log and the other perpendicular to the axis of the log. The axial component advances the log axially into the wafering head while the perpendicular component holds the log in contact with the plate 32. These components thus ensure axial advance and proper orientation of the log relative to the wafering head so that the log is presented to the wafering head in the requisite manner. It is important that the feed of the conveyor 18 be correlated with the speed of the drum so that the log is advanced at the proper feed rate. Thus the conveyor 18 moves in the direction of the arrow 12 at a slower speed than the rate of axial advance of the log. The cutting action of the knives forces the log onto the conveyor 18 and the ridges 58 penetrate the log to form a firm connection between the log and the conveyor wherein slippage is permitted axially of the ridges 58, but wherein very little it any relative movement between the conveyor 18 and the log is permitted perpendicular to the ridges 58 (i.e. in the direction ofthe arrow b). With a. 22 feed angle the rate of advance of the conveyor 18 in the direction of the arrow b will be I07 fpm for an axial log feed to the waferer of about I I5 fpm.

If more than one log is to be processed simultaneously, the logs will simply be forced one against the other and against the wear plate 32 to properly orient such a plurality of logs.

Thus applicant has disclosed a system of feeding logs to the chipper or wafering head while ensuring proper alignment of the logs relative to the'head.

lclaim:

l. A chipper comprising: a chipper head, means adapted to rotate said chipper head on an axis of rotation, conveyor means adjacent said head and adapted to move a log in a direction substantially parallel to said axis of rotation, guide means extending transversely of said conveyor and approaching said head at an acute angle to said axis of rotation, said conveyor means being adapted to move a log in said direction into contact with said guide means thereby to align said log with said guide means and to advance said log longitudinally along said guide means to feed said log into said head at said acute angle to said axis of rotation.

2. A chipper as defined in claim 1 wherein said chipper head has a helical arrangement ol'discrete knives, each knife having a main and an auxiliary cutting edge and wherein said main edge of each knife extends at an angle to the axis of said head substantially equal to said acute angle.

3. A chipper as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor comprises pivotably interconnected sections, upstanding ridges on said sections, said ridges extending perpendicular to the direction of movement of said conveyor sections. 

